A Bodyguard's Duty
by TheDerpiestWriter
Summary: A new guy, yes guy, that shows up turns out to be another bodyguard that the headmaster hired to protect Konoka. What will our Set-chan do when the competition gets close to her girl? FINISHED!  And edited so that the spelling is less crappy
1. The New Boy

Author's Note: I wanted to make a serious fanfic for once and so this story was born. Characters belong to Ken Akamatsu.

The New Boy

It was an average Sunday. Konoka hung out in her dorm room with Asuna and Negi. Setsuna would come later on that afternoon after her training.

"Setsuna-san's running a bit late today", Asuna said, giving Negi and undeserved noogie.

"Ow-ow-ow! Asuna-san! Why do you have to play so rough?" Negi asked dodging her fist.

Konoka, who was making lunch, looked up from her cooking, "Yeah...usually Set-chan's here by now. I wonder if something is holding her."

Negi finally escaped Asuna's grasp and hid behind Konoka, "Maybe she had something to do. If anything bad happened I'm pretty sure that Setsuna-san can hold her own."

"Yeah… HEY! NO HORESPLAY IN THE KITCHEN!" Asuna mumbled 'Sorry' and took her place at the table.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, "Oh! It must be Set-chan!" Konoka forgot about lunch and sprinted for the door. Her guess was right.

Setsuna stood in the doorway. She played with her fingers and worn that cute blush Konoka loved so much, "O-ojou-sama...You look pretty today..."

Konoka turned at every angle so that Setsuna could see, "Yep! I went shopping with Asuna this morning. I'm glad you like it."

"Yeah, 'cuz she got it for you..." Asuna mumbled.

Konoka spun around, "ASUNA!" Regaining her cool, Konoka asked Setsuna if she would like to have some lunch.

"Oh, I can't... I'm here to tell you that the headmaster wants to see you."

Konoka sighed, "Is that old fool trying to set me up on another blind date?"

"I don't know, Ojou-sama. He wouldn't tell me."

"Oh well, come on Set-chan. Lets see what Grandpa wants." Konoka took her friend's hand. On the way out she said, "Negi-kun! Handle lunch. I know that _you _can do it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked an offended Asuna, but the two were long gone.

Konoka knocked on the headmaster's door, "Grandpa! It's me!"

They heard a 'Come in' so Setsuna opened the door for Konoka.

"Ah, Konoka! It's nice to see you again," said the headmaster. He was sitting behind his desk stroking his beard thoughtfully, "And you too, Setsuna-kun. You're doing an excellent job protecting my granddaughter."

Setsuna bowed, "Thank you, headmaster."

The headmaster stood up and walked towards the window, hands behind his back, "Konoka, I have called for you because there is something I need you to know."

"Did anything happen?" Setsuna asked.

The headmaster continued to stroke his beard, "I have been told that the same people that kidnapped Konoka on that school field have been spotted preparing something that looked like different types of summoning spell. It may or may not mean that you are in danger, but we can't take any chances." He looked at Setsuna, "Now Setsuna-kun, I know that you have done a wonderful job and are a formidable opponent, but I don't want to have you fighting and enemy and be pushed to the limit. I see you as another granddaughter...I don't want anything bad happening to you, too."

"I understand, sir, but what are you saying?" Setsuna asked, fear rising from the pit of her stomach. She knew what was coming next.

"I hired a second bodyguard for Konoka. For her safety and yours, too. I don't want to ware you out."

"But sir-!"

He cut her off with a look, "It's best to have two strong, healthy bodyguards than one battle weary one. This is also for your own good, too."

Setsuna looked away. _How dare he? Haven't I done a good job protecting Ojou-sama? Is he saying that I've gotten weaker? Do I have to prove to him that I can do this and do this alone?_

Headmaster faced Konoka, "This young man is just as skilled as Setsuna-kun. Come in, Daniel-kun!"

As the door opened a shy, but handsome looking boy came into the room. His hair was short and white and it almost covered his blue eyes. He wore blue jeans and a nicely pressed shirt, "Sir? You called?"

"Yes I did. Daniel-kun, meet my granddaughter, Konoka."

Daniel walked up to Konoka and bowed, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Konoka-ojou-sama. Please excuse me, I'm from America and I am still learning this language."

"The pleasure is mine, Daniel-kun. I hope you like the country so far," Konoka politely replied.

"And this is Setsuna-kun, her other bodyguard."

Daniel faced Setsuna and bowed, "I am also glad to meet you too, Setsuna-sempai. I have heard that you are quite skilled with the sword. I'm not a very good swordsman, but I'm a good mage and I'm very skilled with the tomahawk."

Setsuna glanced at the headmaster, "He's a mage?"

The headmaster clasped his hands together, "Yes, Daniel-kun is a Western mage, just like Negi-sensei."

"Where's your wand? Do you have one?" Konoka asked.

"Actually, my tomahawks are my wands." He pulled two tomahawks from their sheaths, "If I point from the end of the handle I can perform magic spells." He put them away, "My specialty is fire and lightening magic."

_Lightening? _Setsuna thought, _Damn, he is skilled..._

"He will be attending Mahora Academy. Yes, yes. I know he is a male, but this is for Konoka's protection."

_I wonder where this tool is staying, _Setsuna thought bitterly.

"Setsuna-kun, Daniel-kun shall be staying with you." The headmaster announced.

_"WHAT? _With _ME?" _Setsuna exclaimed.

The headmaster gave her another look, "Please, Setsuna-kun. This is for Konoka's protection."

"Yes sir..."

The headmaster nodded to Daniel, "Daniel-kun, I hope you enjoy your time at Mahora Academy."

"Thank you, sir."

"You're very welcome. I hope this is okay with you, Konoka."

Konoka gave a quick glance at Setsuna who held a poker face, "Yeah, I'm okay with this...Thank you Grandpa."

He smiled at his granddaughter, "You know I always have your best interest at heart. That is all, you three. Daniel-kun, go with Setsuna. She'll show you where to put your stuff. Be safe."

Setsuna walked towards the door and stopped when Daniel opened the door for her. She quickened her pace without looking at him.

Konoka sensed that her friend needed some time alone, "Hey Set-chan! I'll see you later, okay? Asuna must be wondering where I am."

Daniel bowed to Konoka and rushed after Setsuna, "Setsuna-sempai! Wait up!" But she didn't slow down so he had to run to catch up, "This is exciting," he told her when he caught up, "I heard you are one of the strongest people on campus! And I'm rooming with you! That's awesome!"

"Yeah, awesome," Setsuna mumbled. _Do I really have to share my space with this kid? _Setsuna pushed the thought out of her head, _No, I'm being selfish. The headmaster said he's here so I don't have to push myself so hard to do my job. The least I can do is give the kid a chance._

Setsuna flipped the light switch in her dorm room, "You can put your stuff there. I have the bottom bunk, so you can sleep on the top."

Daniel set his stuff down and got up in his bed, "I'm beat... I think I'm going to bed early today. Gotta be set for school tomorrow."

_It's only noon and he's going to bed? Oh well. At least he's out of my hair. _Setsuna decided to leave him to his sleep and go visit Konoka for lunch, _I hope Asuna-san didn't eat everything..._

When Setsuna knocked on the door, Asuna answered, "Hey, is it true that there's a guy living in your room?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"I heard from Konoka. Looks like you have a bit of competition."

Setsuna's face went red, "There's no competition..."

Asuna rolled her eyes, "Oh please, you don't think that this is a major plot twist?"

"Asuna-san, what are you talking about?"

Asuna stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her, "I'm not sure myself, but it's about time you make a move on Konoka. You don't want this guy to come in and take her away, do you?"

Setsuna's face turned serious, "I'm not worried about that. Ojou-sama can like whoever she wants to like... I'm just a bodyguard, nothing more."

Asuna wanted to smack her friend so bad, but she restrained herself, "Look, all I'm trying to say is do something before it's too late. I don't want to see one of my best friends hurt, okay?"

Setsuna looks down, "Okay..."

Asuna smiled and patted her back, "Good. Come on, there's still some lunch left."

Setsuna smiled back and followed her in, but she found herself not able to enjoy Konoka's cooking. Too much was on her mind. _What if Asuna-san's right? What if she falls for this guy and leaves me broken? How could I live everyday and see her with someone else? Maybe it is time...but what if she rejects me? So many things can go wrong if I did... It's not right to love her... I don't want to burden her with my feelings... She can't love me because I'm just a bodyguard and furthermore, I'm a girl. Kono-chan can't live her life with a girl... I have to move on and stay true to my duty. I can't get distracted..._

END

Oh that stubborn Set-chan... I don't think this was my best, but it's gonna get better! Believe it!


	2. Adjustment

Author's Note: My bad if this chapter isn't much good, but the story will work its way up in excitement, believe it. Characters (except Daniel, he's mine) belong to Ken Akamatsu.

Adjustment

Setsuna woke up early to go do her daily training routine before school starts. The digital clock on her desk read five o'clock. She had plenty of time to train then shower before she got to school. Quickly she got dressed. As she prepared to open the door she looked up at Daniel's bunk where he continued to sleep soundly. _That boy has been sleeping since noon yesterday, _she thought. _What's up with that?_

Setsuna slowly closed the door behind her and went to the usual spot which was a clearing in the woods nearby the dorm rooms. When she arrived, she pulled her sword from its sheath and began with the basics. _Remember, it is always important to know the basics. They could be the difference of losing a fight or winning. _The voice of her mentor rang in the back of her mind.

Training always took her mind off of her troubles and worries. Daniel, too, had slipped into the back of her mind. All that mattered was getting stronger to protect her ojou-sama. Suddenly, Setsuna's senses picked up another person within the area. She glanced behind her, trying to find the new comer, but there was no one. _That was odd... I could have sworn I had picked up on something..._

"Hey Sempai! Training early, aren't we?" Setsuna nearly jumped out of her skin. Daniel was almost two feet away from her face. _How the hell did he get so close without me sensing it?_

Daniel laughed at her surprise, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. I saw you leaving our room and, well..." Daniel blushed with embarrassment, "I was curious so I followed you..."

_So he's BEEN following me and I just NOW sense it? Maybe the headmaster was right. I do need someone to help protect Kono-chan..._ Setsuna calmed down. She didn't want him to see how flustered she was, "It's fine... Did you want anything?"

"Can I train with you? I wanna see what you got."

"Like sparring?" Daniel nodded, "Okay. Draw your weapons." _I wanna see how strong this kid really is. _

Daniel drew his tomahawks out of their sheathes and got into a fighting stance, "No magic, just the weapons in our hands."

Setsuna nodded. Daniel was the first to move. Within an instant he was in her face. _He's fast! But I'm faster. _Setsuna ducked out of his way and brought up her sword, careful to not to cut his face. Daniel moved his head out of the way and kept closing in. Setsuna struggled to block his attacks, "I realized with such a long sword, Sempai, that your close combat skills are slightly limited."

"You don't realize how wrong you are." Setsuna found an opening and jabbed Daniel in the stomach with the butt of her sword. Daniel flinched and used the flat of his tomahawk to smack her hand away. Setsuna jumped back onto a nearby tree branch. She used the recoil to spring at him. Daniel tried to move, but she was too fast. Setsuna slammed into him with the flat of her sword.

Daniel fell into the grass with a thud, "Uncle! Uncle!" He set his tomahawks down and held his hands up.

Setsuna couldn't help but chuckle, "Proved you wrong, didn't I?"

"Yeah, I'll say! Sparring indeed! It almost felt like you were getting serious!"

"Sorry, I don't really play fight," _Don't mess with me, kid. If you ever endanger my Kono-chan, then I grantee, this is gonna hurt, _the darker side of her mind threatened.

Daniel checked his cell phone, "It's almost seven. School starts in an hour. What do you do next?"

"Well, I usually take a quick shower and go over to Ojou-sama's dorm..."

She didn't like the way his eyes lit up when she mentioned Konoka, "Can I come? Well, I mean to see Ojou-sama..."

It took all of her willpower not to tell him no, "Sure, my showers are quick." Setsuna and Daniel made it back to their dorm room and as soon as Setsuna was smelling less ripe, they left for Konoka' dorm room.

Setsuna knocked on her door, "Ojou-sama! It's me!" Shortly after the door opened.

"I figured that," Konoka said, "You're the only one who comes here this early." Konoka noticed that Daniel was with Setsuna, "Oh, Daniel-kun! You're here, too? Come in, both of you. Breakfast is ready."

Setsuna greeted Negi and prepared to take her seat at the table. Unfortunately, Daniel had chosen to sit in her usual seat which was the one next to Konoka.

"Oh, you're gonna sit by me today?" Konoka said as she sat down with a plate of eggs. She smiled, "It's nice that Set-chan brought you with her." Konoka felt like she was the only one who felt the waves of jealousy radiating from Setsuna. Of course she felt them. She had known this girl a large portion of her life. Almost all the time she knew almost exactly how her Set-chan was feeling.

Setsuna, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to her Kono-chan's ability. She actually thought that she was concealing her emotions quite accurately. _That's okay, _she kept telling herself, _I'll just sit in Asuna-san's seat, next to Negi-sensei..._

Setsuna took her portion and sat next to Negi who was wolfing down his eggs.

"Slow down, Negi-kun! I don't think my artifact can help people who are chocking!"

Negi swallowed the last of his eggs, "I'm sorry, but there's a teacher's meeting and I'm running late!" Negi forgot about his plate and ran out the door without much of a goodbye.

Normally Setsuna loved the idea of being alone in a room with her Kono-chan at breakfast. Sometimes Konoka would baby her and spoon feed her. It was embarrassing, but she secretly loved it. But no, there was one unwanted person in the room and she continued to emit waves of displeasure.

Konoka felt a strong wall of emotion smashing into her face, _Geez, Set-chan! Can't you control your emotions? _"So, how was your morning?"

Setsuna was about to speak, but Daniel spoke first, "My morning was great! I sparred against Sempai and she had me beat within seconds!"

"You're not hurt are you?" Konoka asked, concerned.

"Well, this scrape on my arm stings a bit..."

Konoka gently took his arm. Her index finger began to glow. Then she touched the scrape. The minor wound hissed for a moment and it was gone the next. Daniel looked at his arm with wonder, "That was amazing, Ojou-sama!"

"Please, don't be so formal. I already have one person who calls me 'Ojou-sama'." Konoka sent a playful glare to Setsuna.

Setsuna felt unwanted heat crawl up her face. She tried to maintain her cool and cross her arms, but it failed and Konoka giggled at her fail.

"So, Konoka-san. You have an artifact?" Konoka nodded, "Who did you make the pactio with? Sempai?"

Konoka soon wore a blush that matched Setsuna's, "No, with Negi-kun."

He nodded thoughtfully, "Maybe we could make a pactio."

Setsuna had had enough, "Okay, it's time to get to class. We don't want to run late."

Konoka stood up and took everyone's plates, "Okay, I'll be ready in a sec!"

Running to school was a daily routine, whether or not they were late. They got to class with five minutes to spare. The majority of class 3-A was out of their seats socializing except for Evangeline, who was at her desk napping.

"Wow..." Daniel said, "I've never seen a classroom so...lively."

"Tell me about it!" Konoka agreed.

Paru was the first person to notice their arrival, "Hey you guys! Walking in almost late again, I see?" Paru noticed Daniel hiding behind Konoka, "Hello, what do we have here? A boy? Konoka-san! Cheating on Setsuna-san right in the open like that? Not cool!"

"No no, he's a new student and I fully intend on keeping my Set-chan."

Setsuna tried to let the comment slide, but her blush told it all.

The clock struck eight and the class instinctively knew that it was learning time. After Negi came in and asked about everyone's weekend, he announced, "We have a new student today! Daniel-san, can you please come up here?"

Daniel rose and walked to Negi's desk, "Hello! My name is Daniel. You can just call me that without being formal. It's fine."

"Tell us a bit about yourself."

"Yeah, cutie! What's your story?" Kazumi said, causing the class to giggle.

"Well, I'm from America. I'm skilled with the weapon called a tomahawk. That's about all I can think of."

"Thank you, you can take your seat."

"My my! This school is starting to become more co-ed," the class rep commented. The girls around her nodded and agreed with her.

Setsuna's day didn't get much better. Everywhere Konoka was, Daniel was right at her side. This trend repeated throughout that week. Setsuna was starting to think that Daniel had replaced her. _No, I can't be replaced. I have a special place in Kono-chan's heart. I CANNOT be replaced. _But her own words failed to make her feel any better.

Later that night Setsuna lay in her bed staring at her sword, lost in thought. _What am I to her? _she wondered. _Am I just a bodyguard? Just a friend? I can never become more than a friend. It would distract me from my duty. And besides, Kono-chan's a girl. Girls want to find the man of their dreams, get married, and have a family. I can't give her that... _

Hatred filled her mind when she thought of Daniel sticking by her like a lost puppy, _That brat... He's in my way... Everything was better when only one person guarded Kono-chan... I didn't feel this way before. I didn't feel so angry, so jealous, so...hurt. _Konoka had spent more time this week with Daniel than with her and she missed Konoka's company terribly. She rolled over to her side, _Kono-chan...I wish I had you back by my side again..._

The door flew open and there, panting, was Asuna, "Setsuna! It's Konoka! Some weird monster thing came though the window and took her away!"

Setsuna leapt from her bed, sword in hand, "Do you know where it went?"

"It looked like it was headed towards the woods. I'm sorry I couldn't help! It was too fast... All I heard was a scream and-"

Setsuna didn't hear the rest because she was already out the door. _Are the people the headmaster spoke of last week at it again? Dammit! I was too busy wallowing in my own self pity to do my job properly! _She sprinted off into the direction of the woods, unaware that her every move was being watched.

END

How's that for a cliffhanger? That chapter went off better than expected! The next chapter shall have more action, violence, and possible some blood to go with that serving of violence.


	3. Realization

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! Here's chapter 3 of A Bodyguard's Duty. This was a fun chapter to write 'cause I'm good with action and fighting scenes. All characters (but Daniel) belong to Ken Akamatsu.

Realization

Setsuna sprinted through the trees. The only things on her mind were what was the enemy this time and is Konoka safe. Setsuna gritted her teeth as she ran, _Damn! I should have been by her side! I should have been there when this happened! This is all my fault! Damn it! Damn it all! _Setsuna tried to clear her mind. She can't hope to save Konoka if her mind is filled with all these thoughts.

Setsuna's acute senses picked up an enemy in the tree above her head. A second later it jumped from the branch and tried to land on Setsuna. She was too quick. She instantly jumped back and sent a deadly slash to the enemy's middle. The demon crumpled to the ground. She realized that she was up against demons, but it didn't matter, _I don't care who the enemy is! I will protect Kono-chan even if it costs my life!_

When the trees were past her she found herself in a clearing with a small pond nearby. Closing her eyes she let her senses sweep the area. She opened her eyes and looked at the pond, _There! _

The water rippled as something tore the surface. A giant horned demon emerged from the water. Its impressive dark wings kept it hovering in the air. But that's not what held Setsuna's interest. In its arms was her Konoka. Konoka looked unconscious, but unharmed.

Setsuna felt like her blood was boiling, _"Get your damn claws off of my Kono-chan!" _She sprinted towards the creature and leaped into the air. A cry was stuck in her throat when she was knocked out of the sky. She fell onto the ground, dazed for a second. When she jumped back into her battle stance she found herself surrounded by medium sized demons, both armed and unarmed.

_"SET-CHAN! SET-CHAN!" _Konoka cried out, finally conscience again.

Setsuna's head whirled around to see Konoka crying out her name, "Kono-chan!" She tried to run to her, but a demon with a hooked sword blocked her way. _It looks like I won't be able to go to Kono-chan without a fight. _Setsuna formed a smug look on her face, _Well if it's a fight you want, you got it!_

Setsuna kicked the demon in the stomach. It doubled over in pain. She took this opportunity to smash its head with the butt of her sword. She glanced to her left and slashed at another demon. It made a harsh wail and fell to the ground. Suddenly, she felt a looming presence behind her. It was a larger demon than the ones her had taken down. She released a large amount of chi. The force of her chi caused the beast to stumble. Taking this chance, Setsuna leaped and cut the beast through the middle.

Minutes past and Setsuna began to realize that the demons just kept coming. _Ugh! No matter how many of these things I knock down, there seems to be another to take its place! _

_"SET-CHAN!" _Setsuna's head snapped over to Konoka's voice. The great horned monster that had her was beginning to fly away!

_No...I'm gonna lose her...I CAN'T LOSE HER! _Setsuna concentrated her energy to her back. She felt a burning sensation then her beautiful pure white wings fluffed out from her back. Quickly, she charged after the enemy. The winged beast became more visible as she flew closer. The beast sensed Setsuna coming closer so it gained altitude. Setsuna flew higher with it, but the oxygen was beginning to thin, _You bastard. You think a little oxygen will stop me? _

Setsuna concentrated hard and prepared to strike, "Shinmei School, special technique..." She let her chi flow to her wings, giving her an extra boost, "_HYAKURETSU OKAZANI!" _

The light from her sword made a direct hit. _YES! Huh? _The smoke cleared to reveal the creature safe and unharmed with what seemed to be a barrier around it. The beast opened its mouth and blasted Setsuna with a beam of highly concentrated energy.

Setsuna fell from the sky. She didn't think she could take the impact of the fall. _I'm sorry I let you down, Kono-chan..._

Suddenly she felt strong arms around her. Setsuna found herself floating above the ground.

"Sempai? You okay?" The voice was familiar. To Setsuna's dismay the person who had caught her was Daniel.

"D-Daniel? What are you doing here-_HAK!" _Setsuna had coughed up a small amount of blood.

"It's okay, Sempai. Negi-sensei and Asuna-san are on the way to help you. Meanwhile, I'm gonna go save Konoka-san!"

_N...no.. _Setsuna thought, but she slowly slipped into unconsciousness as Negi and Asuna came running to her side.

Setsuna opened her eyes and found herself in a warm bed. A quick look around told her that she was in the infirmary. The door opened and Ako walked in the room, "You're awake? That's good! You already have some visitors." She waved in a group of people: Negi, Asuna, and Konoka.

Setsuna's heart dropped when she saw Konoka. She should have felt relived that she was alright, but her pride was wounded because she could not save her herself.

Asuna was the first to talk, "Hey Setsuna... How you feeling?"

Setsuna turned to the window, "Fine..."

Konoka walked up to the bed and sat by Setsuna, "It's okay, Set-chan... I'm safe and unharmed. See? You don't have to worry anymore..." Setsuna had said nothing. Konoka looked at Asuna, giving her a private massage.

Asuna nodded, "Come on, brat. Let's go see...uh...the class rep." Asuna began shoving Negi toward the exit.

"But I wanna see Setsuna-san..." Negi whined before the door shut behind them.

Konoka scooted closer to Setsuna and stroked her hair, "Here, sit up."

Setsuna obeyed and to her displeasure found herself stripped to nothing but the wrappings around her chest.

Konoka continued to stroke her friend, ignoring the blush on Setsuna's face. "Do you want to know what happened?" Setsuna said nothing so she continued, "Daniel-kun fought off that monster that took me away... He saved me and I appreciate that-"

"But _I'm _supposed to save you! _I'm _the one who failed and got knocked out!" Setsuna clenched the sheet, "I'm supposed to be doing my job and protect you, but instead I'm letting someone else do my job..."

Konoka let out a sigh and leaned over to hold her friend, "Set-chan... protecting me is his job, too... Just think about it. If Grandpa hadn't have hired him, then I would still be stuck with that beast. Do you really want that?" Setsuna shook her head, "Then chill! It's okay if someone else is there. You know what, Set-chan? No matter who shows up and no matter how many people my grandfather hire to protect me, you will always have a special place in my heart." Konoka looked her in the eye, "_No one _can replace you... You will always be in that spot forever...okay?"

Setsuna met her gaze, "Yes, Ojou-sama..."

Konoka lean forward to kiss her cheek, sending the swordswoman in a frenzy, "Oh Set-chan, you're so silly and insecure..." Konoka cupped her cheek and gazed into her eyes. "Set-chan…you mean so much to me so there's no need to feel threatened, okay?"

Setsuna blushed harder, "O-okay..."

Konoka smiled that deep happy smile that Setsuna loved so much. Konoka got up from the bed, "I hope you feel better. Ako-san said that you'll be able to get out of here as early as tomorrow. Isn't that great? And I'll be right there with you when you do, okay? Bye Set-chan!"

Konoka closed the door, leaving Setsuna alone to think about what Konoka said. _Kono-chan...it's like you read me like a book... This should never happen again... I need to get stronger and I know just who will help me and just how to do this. _Setsuna looked out the window and saw Konoka meet up with Daniel. Setsuna made a vow under her breath, "I swear, Konoka Konoe, that I will be the one who protects you...I _will _get stronger!"

END

Stubborn, stubborn, _STUBBORN! _Geez, Set-chan...you remind me of Negi... Oh well, the next chapter shall be epic (hopefully) of epiclyness!


	4. A New Master

Author's Note: It took me a while, but here it is! All, but Daniel, are not mine!

A New Master

When Setsuna can out of the infirmary she reluctantly declined Konoka's offer to walk her back to her dorm. She told her she had something important to do. Setsuna headed to the forest and took a path until she reached a lone cottage in the woods. Setsuna walked up the steps, but hesitated at the door. _Do I really want to do this? There's no turning back... _She shook the doubt from her mind. _No…I have to do this. _Setsuna took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Immediately the door opened. It was Chachamaru in a very cute maid outfit. She bowed politely, "The master saw you coming and told me to let you in."

"Thank you," Setsuna responded bowing back. Setsuna stepped into the cottage and had a look around. It had shelves with creepy looking dolls that gave Setsuna shivers. Chachamaru instructed Setsuna to sit down at the table.

"Would you like some tea? I just brewed some."

"That would be nice. Thank you."

As Chachamaru poured her some tea, Evangeline walked into the room, "Well well...it's Setsuna." Eva was wearing a small black dress that made her look like the dolls on her shelves. "What do you want?" Eva sat down across from her and helped herself with some tea.

Setsuna cleared her throat, "Evangeline-san, I need to become stronger. Stronger so that I can protect Ojou-sama."

Evangeline sipped her tea, seemingly indifferent but listening.

"When I should have been there for her I let her down..." Setsuna said, her voice thick with shame. She was remembering what had happened the other night. "I need to be the one to save her. Evangeline, no matter what the cost is, I must get stronger! Please, help me!"

Eva set her cup down. She looked Setsuna straight in the eye, "That's not the only reason, is it?" She ignored Setsuna's confused reaction, "It's that Daniel-bozu, isn't it? You're afraid that Konoka is going to fall in love with the guy with the bigger balls? So you think getting stronger will help?"

"I wasn't able to save her... _I _should be the one to save her. Not _him._"

Eva smirked, "Aww... looks like our little hanyou is jealous."

"I am not...Ojou-sama's safety is my top priority..."

"_BAH! _Do you really think that I would believe that shit? Jealously is no reason to go out seeking power!"

Setsuna abruptly stood from her seat, "I'm not jealous! The other night taught me that in my current state I am too weak to fend off threats! You are the only one who can help me! You helped Negi-sensei, why can't you help me?"

Evangeline stood up, too, "Boya obtained great power, yes, but he's still obsessed with finding his father! One reason why he tried to gain so much power was to satisfy that obsession! Do you know how many times he was almost killed? What good will a dead bodyguard be for your precious princess?"

Setsuna thought about it for a moment. She knew that with great power came great responsibilities and the risk of her dying was always there. _I have no choice. _Setsuna walked up to Evangeline and even though it hurt her pride, she got down on her knees, _Ojou-sama is worth more than my pride. _"Evangeline-san, please. I am _begging _you. Please, help me get stronger..."

Evangeline turned her back on her. Seconds turned into minutes before she turned to her again, "...fine...There is little that I can teach you, but I know one thing that I can probably help you with." Eva snapped her fingers as a cue for Setsuna to stand up. Setsuna followed her into a room that had nothing but a small bottle on a stand. Eva reached out for her hand and started chanting. Setsuna's body felt dizzy and light as she and Evangeline transported into the bottle.

When Setsuna could see, she was in awe of how massive Eva's resort was. She had been here before, but every time seemed like the first time.

Eva smacked her arm, "Quit gawking and come on. There's a lot of work to be done..."

Setsuna followed her to a wide area where Eva would train Negi, "So what do I do now?" Setsuna asked.

Evangeline folded her arms, "This is serious. This training will damage your body and potentially kill you if you don't have the willpower or guts to continue. I do not train wusses. Do I make myself clear?" Setsuna nodded. "Okay, good... First I want to see what you are made of." She quickly chanted a spell and flames of ice engulfed her hands. The flames shaped themselves so that they looked like blades, "Don't hold back. If you do, you will definitely die."

Setsuna nodded and drew her sword. She didn't have a moment to think before Eva was in her face. Startled, she drew back. But Evangeline kept pushing foreword into her perimeter. Eva swung her arms like swords, but each hit met blade. Setsuna tried to at least nice her, but her swings matched Eva's. For hours they went on like that, neither of them damaging the other. Setsuna was trained to fight for long amounts of time, but she was beyond her limit.

Suddenly Evangeline drew back and canceled her spell. Setsuna was confused, but saw this as an opening. Setsuna charged at Eva, but at the last moment she moved out the way with speed that would have suggested that she had just begun fighting and tripped her. Setsuna fell flat on her face.

Eva chuckled and clapped, "Good job, hanyou. That was good for the first session."

Setsuna panted and struggled to sit up. Instead she leaned over and coughed up blood. _Evangeline-san was right, _Setsuna thought, _That training did take a lot out of my body..._

Eva rolled her eyes, "Come on, get up." Setsuna used her sword to prop herself up and used it to stay standing. "There you go! Ugh, just look and you...well I guess I can't send you home looking like this... Chachamaru! Go get her something to eat!"

Chachamaru brought back a few steamed pork buns for Setsuna and she wolfed them all down in minutes.

"That's so you don't collapse on the way home. Meet me here everyday after school. What? You thought you were finished? _Wrong. _You're not even close to _started. _The training sessions will get _longer _and _harder. _The real training begins when you are able to beat me."

Setsuna hobbled her way back to her dorm room. _I made it back alive...somehow... _All she wanted to do was go to sleep. She felt like it has been hours, but in reality it was less than thirty minutes. _Maybe I can get some shut eye for a bit. _About as soon as Setsuna closed her eyes there was a knocking at the door. _Ugh, figures... _"Come in!"

The door opened and Konoka walked in all alone. No Daniel in sight. Setsuna's heart soared, _I'm all alone in my room with Kono-chan..._

Konoka walked over to Setsuna's bed and sat by Setsuna's waist, "Hey Set-chan," she beamed, "Where were you off to?"

Setsuna hated lying, but she had to keep her training a secret, "It's nothing Ojou-sama. I just had to meet up with a teacher to get my homework."

Konoka nodded. She knew her friend was lying to her, but she didn't pry, "So, do you want to do something? There's a whole rest of the day that I don't want to waste!"

Setsuna shifted comfortably into her bed, "Well actually, Ojou-sama, I'm very tired and I was going to take a nap..."

"Nap? But wasn't that the only thing you've been doing in the infirmary?"

_If only you knew. _"Yeah, but I guess I'm still tired... What about Asuna?"

"She's out with class rep and Negi's hanging out with Nodoka-san..." Konoka sighed. She looked over to Setsuna then climbed over to the other side of her.

"O-Ojou-sama?"

"I guess I'll just have to take a nap with you." She felt Konoka settle behind her. Setsuna didn't feel comfortable on her side so she flipped onto her back. Konoka wrapped an arm around Setsuna's waist and pulled her closer. Konoka snuggled closer and let out a small sigh. She felt completely safe now that she was with her knight.

Soon Setsuna heard Konoka's breath slow into a steady, rhymester pace. Setsuna, too, closed her eyes and feel asleep to Konoka's warmth.

END

Another awesome chapter! And for those who are confused, when it says "END" it means end of the chapter. Sorry for any confusion!


	5. The Other Side

Author's Note: This chapter is pretty intense. Enjoy! All, but Daniel, are not mine!

The Other Side

Everyday for the past two weeks, Setsuna had gone to Evangeline's resort for training and the results were the same almost everyday: Setsuna and Eva fought in sword combat for hours and hours until Eva says to stop. Sometimes one would nic the other, but this had shown Setsuna that she and Eva were equally matched in close range combat.

But today, the outcome had changed. Setsuna drew her sword and prepared herself for Eva's first attack. Eva's hands had magic surrounding them and spiked outward so that they looked like swords. They were engaged in combat for about an hour until the tables turned. Their weapons collided and turned the sword fight into a contest of brute strength. Eva was strong, but due to all of the training Eva put Setsuna though, Setsuna had gotten stronger. Setsuna grunted and did one final push and knocked Evangeline A.K. McDowell to the ground.

No one moved or made a sound. Even Chachamaru was in a state of shock. Eva sat up and dusted off her outfit. She looked Setsuna straight in the eye and broke out in a huge grin, "There we go! Congratulations! You have surpassed me. No, don't look hopeful. You have only surpassed me in brute strength. It gets much _much _harder from here..."

Chachamaru handed her a cup of tea, "Thank you. Now Setsuna, I never told you what I had planned for you. The only way that you can gain anymore power is if we unlock your inner demon."

_My inner demon? _"How do you plan on doing that?"

"I know a spell that will force this side of you out and, with practice, you can learn to control it and unlock it whenever you please. This is a natural power source given to you at birth. But, the training will greatly drain your body. You'll probably have major food craves because your body will need the extra energy."

Setsuna took a deep breath, "Okay, I'm ready."

Eva gave her cup to Chachamaru, "Stand over here," she commanded, pointing to the space in front of her. Setsuna did as she was told. Eva closed her eyes and chanted quickly. She couldn't quite follow the words. Then the chanting slowed down. She realized that time itself seemed to slow.

Everything seemed to swirl and felt disoriented. She closed her eyes, afraid that she may get sick and ruin the spell. Time crawled to a point where it almost stopped. Suddenly, Eva chanted faster and faster. It grew louder with each word and sounded sharp. Setsuna felt something painful pierce her right arm. Her eyes flew open to see a thin white band with black lettering embedded into her arm. The pain was unimaginable. She threw back her head and howled in pain.

Eva didn't seem to notice. More bands shot into her right arm, her other arm, and both of her legs until about over twelve bands were buried deep into various parts of her body. The pain didn't seem to end. She stopped screaming because she had lost her voice.

The tips of the bands felt like they were curling inside of her. Setsuna coughed up blood. _When will this hell end? _She screamed inside. She dared to open her eyes again. Eva was still chanting, the white bands now in her hands. With a final shout, Eva ripped the bands free from her body.

Setsuna screamed a soundless scream and collapsed onto the ground. Eva seemed to stagger, too, "That spell always seems to take something out of me," she panted. Eva waited a few minutes to catch her breath, "Setsuna! Wake up! Wake up and see what your inner self, your true self, looks like!"

When Setsuna came to, she put a hand on her forehead. _Of all the times to have a headache... _Something made her stop. Her forehead felt...fuzzy. She looked at her hand and carefully touched it. _Fur? _She looked more closely at her hands, _No…feathers! _

She felt her face, her cheeks. _Is my whole body like this? _Setsuna ran inside the massive building in the center of Eva's resort, desperately looking for a mirror. Finally, she found a bathroom with a body length mirror.

She took in the sight. Her skin was entirely white, due to her feathers. Her wings were free, flapping slightly. Her hair was pure white, too, and matched her body. Her hands and feet were the feature that disturbed her the most. Out of her fingertips jutted smooth claws about three inches long. Her toe tips, larger claws that were about five inches long. The other thing about this body that stood out to her was her eyes. Her usually dark grey eyes had changed to a blood red. They stood out in all of the white, piercing through her.

"Surprised with what you see?" Setsuna turned to see Eva leaning against the door frame.

"I-I'm a bit overwhelmed," she answered, "Are you sure that I will be able to change back?"

"With training, yes."

"But what if I don't learn that ability before I leave?"

Eva grinned grimly, "Then I will have to change you back by force and the next time you come back, I will have to perform that spell on you again. I think it's in your best interest to learn quickly."

They had a quick meal and continued with the lesson, "Summoning this power is easy, but containing it takes practice," Eva said, "Your current form wants to be out. It doesn't want to go back into hiding. Have you ever noticed a sudden burning sensation in your body? That was your inner demon trying to break loose."

Setsuna had noticed this happening several more times since she enrolled in Mahora Academy. She thought she could control it, but she knew somewhere in the back of her mind that she couldn't forever.

Eva clapped her hands, breaking her thoughts, "Alrighty then! To seal your inner demon and return to normal, you must channel your chi everywhere. Yes, to every inch of your body. I'll even give you a demonstration." Eva closed her eyes. It only took her seconds for a silver white color to surround her, "Now you try."

Setsuna focused on the energy within. She found it easier to channel from the top of her body to the bottom. Slowly she felt the warmth of her chi spread to her entire body.

"Good. That didn't seem too hard for you to do," she heard Eva say, "Now I want you to take that chi and force it down so it feels like a hard ball of energy in the pit of your stomach. Your inner demon will resist. Remember, it wants to be free."

Setsuna felt this step to be much harder than the first. She pushed the concentrated chi to the core of her body and, like Eva said, there was some kind of resistance. It felt as of she was fighting with herself. Finally after half an hour, she won. The ball of chi that she hand formed inside her expanded and a flash of white covered the area. Eva had to shield her eyes a bit. When she could see again, she saw a sweaty Setsuna.

Setsuna panted hard and quickly sat down. She checked her hands and was rather pleased to see skin instead of feathers. She looked up to see Eva smiling down on her, "I'm impressed! You know, it's really hard to impress me."

_I can imagine, _Setsuna thought.

"Soon you will be able to do that within seconds. Summoning this power will be easier. Now, think of the person you are fighting for, the person that you would go to any length to protect!" She chuckled, "And I think we all know who that is."

Setsuna ignored Eva's comment. _Kono-chan... Kono-chan... _Setsuna's chi could be seen blazing from her.

"That's not enough! Think harder!"

_Kono-chan! Kono-chan!_

"More, hanyou! I want to see more!"

_Kono-chan! Kono-chan! I will protect you from _anything _and _everything_! Kono-chaaaaaaan!_

Setsuna felt every inch of her skin rip as the feathers fluffed out. Her back burned as her large wings came into view. Her claws and talons tore through the tips of her fingers and toes. Setsuna let out a beastly roar when her transformation was complete.

Eva congratulated her. "Good. Good. You did _very _well for your first time."

Setsuna repeated her transformations three more times before Eva told her that she was done for the day, "You passed a milestone today. Tomorrow I'll teach you how to fight in your other form."

_What? Don't I get a day off? _But Setsuna knew better not to voice her thoughts. She bowed politely and was on her way.

Setsuna was climbing up the stairs to her dorm room when she accidently bumped into Konoka, "Oh, Ojou-sama! I'm very sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going..."

Konoka giggled, "I can see that!" Her eyes clouded with worry, "Set-chan...are you okay? You've been acting weird lately..."

"Weird? Not me! I've just been busy..."

"Busy with what? You haven't told me anything, you return with cuts and bruises, and you sleep all day! Look at you now! You're a mess!"

Setsuna looked down at her clothes. They were badly torn and she had bumps and scrapes all over her body.

Konoka grabbed her arm, "You're coming with me."

Setsuna knew it was useless to argue so she let Konoka lead her back to Konoka's dorm room. When she opened the door there was no one home, "Asuna is running errands and I sent Negi with her." She sat her down onto her bed. She whispered a spell and touched Setsuna's injuries. Within seconds they healed and disappeared.

"Th-thank you, Ojou-sama. I must get leaving... I have patrol duty tonight and I want to get some sleep in..." Setsuna tried to get up, but Konoka still held her hand.

"Set-chan, we need to talk. Everyday after school you disappear and run off somewhere. I hardly spend any time with you anymore..." Konoka looked at her straight in the eye, "Is there something going on...?"

Setsuna blushed under her ojou-sama's hard gaze, "No, I just need time for myself to, you know, think about things."

"Think about what? Is it about Daniel? Are you still upset about that?"

"No no...I'm over that."

"Good...," Konoka searched her eyes, trying to find any evidence of something else. Her samurai's eyes gave nothing. She knew something was wrong. She could feel it in her bones and it hurt like hell that Setsuna wouldn't tell her. _What's happening to my Set-chan?_

Setsuna gathered the courage to gently squeeze Konoka's hand, "Ojou-sama, there's nothing to worry about. Honestly...I'm fine."

Konoka knew that Setsuna would keep saying that she was fine until she believed that it was true, "Okay, Set-chan..."

"I promise that tomorrow I won't directly go to sleep. I'll come straight here and spend time with you, okay?"

She saw Konoka's eyes light up, "Okay!"

Setsuna let go of her hand and made here way to the door, "I'll see you tomorrow," she told Konoka with a smile.

Konoka smiled back at her. When she closed the door it took all of Konoka's willpower not to cry.

END

Another chapter down. Wow, I feel really inspired! Defiantly more soon! Also note that my spelling may be terrible. I don't have a spellchecker or anything so I have to look online to see if I spelt something right. I'm trying and sometimes I miss a few things. People sometimes comment on that so now you all know why. (But now I do!)


	6. On Patrol!

Author's Note: Setsuna has unlocked a new power...what will happen next? Daniel is the only character that is mine. The rest belong to Ken Akamatsu.

On Patrol!

Setsuna awoke from her nap feeling not quite at a hundred percent, but it would give her enough energy for the evening. As she put on her shoes she heard soft snoring in the bunk above hers. _Daniel must be back, _she thought. She picked up the sword and left her room, careful not to wake her roommate.

Instantly she felt more at ease when she exited the building and walked into the warm twilight sky was a dark orange and everything seemed to have a little bit of orange in them. She smiled to herself, _I can't relax just now, can I? I have a job to do. _Her normal patrol route lead around the perimeter of the campus until someone came to relieve her of her duty.

The twilight slowly transitioned into night. Even though Setsuna was ready for anything, things were pretty slow. The demon barrier that protected the school usually kept the demons out, but sometimes one or two slip past it and it was her job to eliminate them.

She allowed herself to think about her training. She wondered what kind of things Eva will teach her. _I think it's pretty obvious how to fight with claws, _she thought, _What else could she teach me that wouldn't come naturally by instinct? _

She pasted by the woods that began near the border. She stared into the dark trees, something was unnerving her. _Maybe I should check this out. _Setsuna walked closer to the woods. A faint, low growl could be heard. She backed up and drew her sword, but with her sword halfway out a winged demon appeared from the trees and almost collided with her face.

Setsuna evaded it in time and the beast flew past her. Quickly, she slashed at it, just in time before it got any farther. Its body crashed to the ground. Her head jerked back to the woods, wondering if there were anymore strays, "Show yourselves!" She was answered by more low growls. Several more winged demons shot out of the woods. Setsuna counted eight. _Eight? _she mentally exclaimed. It's not that she couldn't handle them, the number is what shocked her.

Three of them charged her at once. She ducked and swung at two who were beginning to turn around and charge her again. The third came back around and attempted to attack her once more. She was ready for him. She sidestepped out of the beast's path and held out her sword with both hands. The winged demon didn't see the change in time. It slammed into her blade, skewered. With a flick of the wrist, she discarded the carcass. All done within seconds.

One had snuck up behind her. Well, tried. The beast sunk his yellow claws into her back, but a cloud of white smoke filled the air. When the smoke cleared, there was a paper doll on the ground. "Looking for me?" Setsuna said menacingly. Her sword fit under the demon's chin and in one swift motion she decapitated him.

The remaining demons circled around her. She cut them down, one by one. Once finished, she looked around. _No more signs of life anywhere... _She thought, breathing a sigh of relief.

"My my. You've made quite a mess here." The voice came from Mana. "I came to tell you that it's my shift, but I guess I'm gonna have to clean up your mess, too." Mana hoisted a carcass over her back, "I'll put this on your tab."

"Um, thank you, but this is important. Usually there isn't any action and now suddenly I get attacked by a horde of demons. What's going on?"

Mana paused for a moment, "Maybe there is a weak spot in the barrier. I'll look and see if I can find anything suspicious. The headmaster will want to know what happened. We'll go to his office tomorrow."

Setsuna nodded. Her training, lack of sleep, and fighting the demons made her exhausted. She somehow got back to her dorm room and passed out on the floor.

Setsuna knocked on the headmaster's door. She and Mana had agreed to come before school.

"Come in!" she heard the dean call. Setsuna opened the door and held it open for Mana. "Setsuna-kun! Mana-kun! How are you?"

Setsuna couldn't help but smile at his friendliness, "I'm fine, sir."

"Sir, Setsuna encountered something on her patrol last night."

Setsuna told him about her fight with the winged demons, "Mana told me that she would try to find if there is a weak spot in the barrier." She turned to her friend, "Did you?"

Mana shook her head, "No, I haven't. I will keep looking. This whole thing is odd, though. Nine stray demons at once. More than we're used to."

The headmaster stroked his beard thoughtfully, "All right, I'll alert the magical faculty. If you see anything else, tell me."

He dismissed Setsuna and Mana with a final nod. Setsuna glanced at the clock on the wall. She had seven minutes to get to class. _Aw shoot! I'm gonna be late!_ Mana noticed the time, too. They would have to run for it.

Class 3-A stood as Negi entered the room, "Good morning, Sensei!" they all said in unison.

Negi smiled his cute little boy smile, "Morning everyone!" He glanced at two empty seats. "Are Setsuna-san and Mana-san sick?" He raised his voice, "Has anyone seen Setsuna-san or Mana-san today?"

Konoka raised her hand, "I didn't see her this morning."

"She wasn't in our dorm room," Daniel spoke up.

Negi heard the door knob turn. The door opened to reveal an exhausted Setsuna and a winded Mana. Setsuna bowed slightly, "Sorry that we're late, Negi-sensei." They quickly took their seats. Setsuna tried to ignore the eyes watching her as she hurried to her seat.

"Now that everyone is here I can start today's lesson," Negi said opening his book. He told the class to open their text books to page fifteen. Setsuna was halfway there when she felt something jab her back. She turned to see what it was when it fell into her chair. It was a mini paper airplane. In the corner of her eye she saw Asuna mouth, _It's from Konoka! _

Setsuna tried to prevent the heat from spreading to her face. _A note from Kono-chan? _She unfolded the note, hiding it in her book so it looked like she was reading along. _Where were you this morning?_

Setsuna smiled and wrote, _Your grandfather's office. Something happened last night on my patrol. _She explained her battle. _Don't worry, only the demons were hurt :). _She folded it up and tied it in a knot. She waited until she knew no one was looking before she threw it back to Asuna.

Setsuna knew that Konoka received the note because her unnatural hearing picked up the sound of shuffling paper. A minute passed when she felt it hit her back again. She reopened the note, _Oh, okay! I'm glad you're not hurt! Remember, Set-chan, we're hanging out later today :3!_

_I know :). What would you want to do? _Setsuna wrote back. Setsuna and Konoka passed notes to each other for several more minutes. She hadn't had this much fun in class ever. Then a paper airplane landed onto her desk. She opened it and read, _Passing love notes? What's the scoop? _A chibi drawing of Kazumi was on the bottom of the note. She looked up and saw Kazumi wink at her. Setsuna blushed and crumpled the note and shoved it into her bag.

The day seemed to go by quickly. Setsuna had something to look forward to at the end of the day so she was inwardly giddy with excitement. Before she knew it school was over and she was returning to Eva's resort.

"Ready for your next lesson?" Setsuna nodded, "Good. Before we can do anything you need to transform."

Setsuna transformed within seconds. She felt new energy and ripple throughout her entire body.

"I'm pretty sure that you think that using your claws and talons in battle would be pretty simple, right? Well, if you do something wrong you can tear out a claw." Eva grinned when she saw Setsuna wince at the thought, "I want you to come at me. I'll give you tips and hints as we fight."

Eva made a thin extra barrier around her. Setsuna knew that Eva was strong and highly skilled, but she wasn't going to take risks with her. Extra precaution would be expected.

Setsuna launched herself at her, claws out. Eva blocked her with her arm and shoved her back, "You have to think about where you're aiming! Don't just fly at the enemy!"

Setsuna felt ashamed. That was a basic thing she learned when she was learning the way of the sword. _I guess the things I learned will help me learn how to fight in this form. _

Setsuna swiped at Eva to only, once again, be blocked by her arm, "More power! Channel more chi into your arm! It will make your attack hit home."

Setsuna channeled more chi into her arms and landed blows onto Eva. Eva still successfully blocked them, but winced every now and then, "Good! You're doing better!" Eva kicked Setsuna in the stomach. Setsuna groaned and jumped back, "But you have to use your legs! Your wings! What do you think they are there for? Decoration? Use them!"

Eva charged at Setsuna. Right before impact she used her wing to block the attack. Eva was thrown off balance for a moment, giving Setsuna the opportunity to channel chi into her leg and deliver a powerful kick to Eva's gut. Eva was knocked down, but got back up in an instant. Her eyes were ablaze.

Eva charged at her again, Setsuna had her hands ready to block her attack. But Eva merely slapped her hands out of the way. Once exposed, Eva landed countless blows onto Setsuna's gut. Setsuna could hardly see a single punch. "To help build your defenses you can ether make a chi barrier, like mine, but it kills your chi. Or, your can channel chi to the area in need of protection. You can also use this to create barriers around vital organs."

Setsuna soon found out that these were _very _useful way to protect her body. An hour later both had used up a great amount of chi. Setsuna lay on the ground heavily panting and Eva was barely standing.

"That's enough for today," Eva said after a while, "Come back tomorrow. Same time like always."

Setsuna transformed back to her human self. She half walked, half jogged out of Eva's home. _I'm coming, Kono-chan! _Setsuna began to pick up the pace. She ran through the woods, a wide smile spred across her face. The closer she came, the more her excitement grew. _I wonder what we're gonna do. Does she have anything planned?_

Setsuna ran up the stairs to and turned the bend to the hallway here Konoka's dorm room. And froze. Setsuna's eyes were on Konoka's doorway and what was in it. In the doorway were Konoka and Daniel. They were engaged in a kiss. Daniel was holding her. Konoka's hands were at her sides, but she showed no resistance.

Setsuna let out a choked wail. This was enough to get Konoka's attention. Immediately she pushed Daniel back, "Se-Set-chan! I swear you got this wrong!"

But Setsuna didn't want to hear it. She wanted to disappear. So she did. Setsuna fled the scene, ignoring Konoka calling after her. She didn't care. All she wanted to do was get out of there.

Setsuna didn't know how she got to the lake by the barrier. Breathing hard she looked around, seeing if anyone followed her. No one did. Tears welled up in her eyes. What Asuna had told her a while back rang in her head. _Do something before it's too late._

_Well, it's too late... _Setsuna thought sadly. She knelt by the water and cried harder than she ever had at any single moment in her life.

END

Another chapter down. That was quick. Geez, I wrote this and I feel kinda sad. More soon.


	7. Hardships

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter of A Bodyguard's Duty. And remember people, it's an angst genre. Angst, people, angst! Daniel is alll mine, but one else is...sigh.

Hardships

Setsuna's alarm clock went off, but she hardly registered it. Eventually she crawled out of bed and got herself ready for the day. She felt lifeless, like a zombie. _Maybe I'm better off a zombie._

After she got dressed she went to her usual training spot. She drew her blade and started off with the basics. _Was that really what I saw? _She thought remembering last night. _Ojou-sama was trying to tell me something... _She mentally slapped herself. _What if it was a misunderstanding? Dammit! Why did I run off like that? _She remembered the harsh wave of pain she had felt when she had made that discovery. _Oh yeah...that was why..._

Setsuna thought of every possible reason why her Kono-chan would kiss someone like him. _I have been away. Maybe they grew closer... Or maybe Daniel-bozu forced himself on Kono-chan! _This idea set her ablaze with rage. She took the anger out on a nearby tree.

"Geez, you're pissed." Setsuna turned and found Asuna grinning at her.

"Asuna-san, what are you doing here?"

Asuna pointed to her empty bag, "I just got done delivering papers."

Asuna's grin disappeared and was replaced into a frown, "Are you okay?"

Setsuna hacked away, "Never better."

"I heard what happened and I'm resisting the urge to say I told you so." Asuna grinned again. "You ran off before Konoka had the chance to explain herself."

"I know what I saw. You were right, Asuna-san, I should have done something before it was too late..."

"But it's not too late!" said a frustrated Asuna. "It may seem like it, but it's not. You need to talk to Konoka and get the truth from her otherwise it _will _be too late! Then you'll be sitting around feeling sorry for yourself!"

Setsuna glared at her friend, "I'm not sitting around feeling sorry for myself."

Asuna pointed to the tree, "Than what is that? You look like your taking your anger out on that poor tree!"

"It's called training, Asuna-san. And I wish you would leave me to do it."

Asuna sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get snippy. I just don't want my two best friends to be torn by some dumb misunderstanding..."

Setsuna whirled on her, "How do _you _know it was a misunderstanding? From my point of view it looked pretty real!"

Asuna stood her ground, "Setsuna-san, I want you to go talk to Konoka about this and make up."

They glared at each other for a few seconds more when Setsuna gave in, "...fine... I'll let her explain herself..."

Asuna gave her a big hug. Setsuna blushed at the sudden gesture, but she hugged her friend back. Asuna broke the hug and patted her back, "You almost done terrorizing that tree?" Setsuna nodded. "Good, that's no way to treat trees. Let's go to class."

The two buddies walked side by side into Negi's classroom. Class was about to start. Their classmates were talking to each other and gossiping about stuff worth gossiping about. Setsuna saw Konoka sitting in her seat talking to Daniel. She felt a burning rage rise up from the pit of her stomach, but relaxed when she remembered her talk with Asuna.

Daniel bowed to Konoka and made his way to his seat. On the way there his eyes met Setsuna's. The look in his eyes surprised her. Usually his eyes twinkle with a boyish playfulness, but his eyes glowed with triumph. She felt the need to smack that look off his face. She felt another pair of eyes rest on her.

Konoka sat in her seat her eyes locked onto Setsuna's. Konoka blushed and looked away. Setsuna felt a blush of her own creep up. Asuna, who had taken her seat next to Konoka winked at Setsuna. Her face turned red and she quickly sat down and hid her face so that no one could see it.

The school day went by slowly. Setsuna sat in her last class, math, as bored as anyone could be. She thought about her training with Eva. _I had no clue that I can use my chi for so many things. I wonder when I'll have to use them in really battle. _Setsuna shook her head. _I shouldn't use my demon form in battle unless it's necessary. I need to keep this a secret. _She didn't want to think about her Kono-chan's reaction if she ever saw her other form. _I don't want to scare her away..._

The bell finally rang and she was one of the first to get out of that cell of endless boredom. Setsuna walked by the dorms on her way to Eva's house. She randomly saw Konoka walking towards the door. _Maybe we can talk about this now! _Setsuna almost called out her name when she saw Daniel open the door for her. The earlier rage bubbled back again and intensified when they hugged.

Daniel was the only one who saw Setsuna. The glow in his eyes returned and taunted her. _She's mine, bitch, _she read the expression on his face.

Setsuna almost transformed then and there. She struggled for control over her body. _Strong emotions like anger or life or death situations can trigger a transformation, _she remembered Eva's warning. _So don't run around hating everyone! _

Setsuna ran into the thick of the woods and sat under a tree, trying to calm herself down. Several minutes later the threat of transforming subsided, "That was close..." She said to herself.

"You're late!" Eva growled, "Do I have to hold your hand to make sure you get to class on time?"

"I had an emergency." Setsuna answered.

Eva didn't bother to ask. Setsuna transformed and resumed training. As she fought Eva she couldn't help but think about Daniel. _That cocky little bastard, _she thought as she blocked a blow with her arm, _Kono-chan will NEVER be his! _Setsuna unarmed Eva and with a cry she hit Eva and hit her _hard. _

Eva fell back, "Hey! We're practicing here! Don't try to kill your damn mentor!"

But Setsuna wasn't listening. _But Kono-chan is MINE. She belongs to ME. Not that damn child, not ANYBODY! I'll destroy anyone who gets in my way! _With a beastly growl Setsuna kicked Eva in the face.

Eva was thrown back a few feet and didn't have the time to recover before Setsuna was upon her again, "All right! _That's enough!"_

Eva grabbed Setsuna by the neck. Setsuna feebly moved her arms and legs, trying to break free of her grasp. Eva was too strong. She tightened her grip on Setsuna's neck. She pulled Setsuna's face closer to hers, "You don't treat your master that way. I'm the one in charge." Eva flung Setsuna across the clearing.

Setsuna skidded across the ground. Dust surrounded where she lay. She sat up, rubbing her head. Suddenly, an arm came out of her shadow and grabbed her ankle, "I'm not done disciplining you." Eva fully appeared from the shadow and paralyzed Setsuna in her place.

Setsuna struggled to break free from the shadow. Eva jumped high into the air and slammed the back of her foot against her skull. Setsuna's vision blurred momentarily and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Eva knelt down in front of Setsuna, "So, hanyou, obviously there's something on your mind. What's up? What's got you so angry that you think you can take it out on your master?"

"I don't want to talk about it..." Eva slapped her, "Okay! Okay! Geez..." Setsuna explained what had happened last night and on her way here.

"So, you're pissed 'cuz Daniel-bozu won over the princess?" Eva cruelly laughed, "I knew this would happen. You were so obsessed with gaining power that you lost your ojou-sama right from under your nose!"

Setsuna was about to argue, but she realized that Eva was right. If she hadn't so busy training all of the time she could devote that time to Konoka. _Kono-chan was probably lonely and only had Daniel-bozu to talk to... _Setsuna lowered her head in shame.

"You're doing great as a bodyguard. I don't think that the average bodyguard would go through hell in training to protect someone. But you _suck _as a friend!" Eva slapped her again, "You're obsessed with protecting this girl and you think that your lame ass excuse 'I'm only protecting you because it's my duty' is gonna pass off? Even a blind cat can see that you're in love with this bitch!"

Setsuna shook her head, "It still doesn't matter. Ojou-sama's happiness is important and if she's happier with him than I have to accept it."

Eva slapped her again, "I'm getting tired of slapping you. Did you even talk to this chick?" Setsuna shook her head and Eva rolled her eyes, "You know what? Go talk to her, now_. _I don't care how long it takes you. You're obviously distracted from your training. I won't teach you anything else until you haul your ass over there and talk to her!"

Eva released her and kicked her out of the resort. Setsuna walked through the woods surrounding Eva's house, "Great. Where am I gonna find her," Setsuna thought out loud.

"Set-chan?"

Setsuna looked up to see none other than Konoka in front of her, "Ojou-sama? What are you doing here?"

Konoka blushed, "I, um, kinda followed you. I saw you run off earlier and I was concerned."

Setsuna realized that she meant when Setsuna ran off because her inner demon had threatened to come out.

Konoka sat under a tree and beckoned Setsuna to sit next to her, "I need to talk to you..."

"About last night, right?" Setsuna shoved the pain away.

"Yeah...oh! Set-chan! You're hurt!" Konoka reached out and touched her cheek. The blood had dried, but it stung a little. "Hold still." Konoka focused her magic into her hand and healed the wound.

"Thank you, Ojou-sama." Setsuna gratefully said.

Konoka playfully smacked her arm, "When are you gonna start calling me Kono-chan?"

"I-I, um..." Setsuna stammered.

"It's okay. I guess I can tolerate 'Ojou-sama' for a little bit longer." Setsuna smiled and Konoka laughed.

They laughed together for a while, then Konoka's face grew serious, "Set-chan…about last night. I know it looked bad..." Setsuna looked away, unable to meet her eyes. "But it wasn't my fault. Daniel was walking me back to my dorm. Then he suddenly leans foreword and kisses me! I didn't want to hurt his feelings so I went along with it. It was bad timing that you showed up at the wrong time." Konoka looked at her straight in the eye. "Set-chan, this is the truth. I don't like Daniel-kun like that. Do you believe me?"

Setsuna looked for any signs that her Kono-chan may have been lying to her, "I believe you."

Setsuna wasn't prepared for Konoka's reaction. She glomped her and knocked Setsuna onto the ground. _Oww... _Setsuna thought. Konoka was on top of her, arms still wrapped around her neck. Setsuna's face was on fire, "O-O-Ojou-sama..." She tried to push Konoka off of her, but Konoka was stronger that she estimated.

Konoka raised her head so that their faces were inches apart, "I'm so glad! I thought that things were gonna go back to when you never talked to me... You never really looked at me at all..."

_That's not true, _Setsuna thought, _I couldn't _stop _looking at you..._

"The thought of going through that all over again hurt," Konoka held her closer, "I didn't want to lose you..."

Setsuna reached up and stroked her hair, "You're never gonna lose me."

They lay there holding each other in their arms, neither saying a word. Setsuna shifted from under Konoka, "Set-chan, what's wrong?"

Setsuna gave her a warm smile, "Nothing's wrong." Setsuna felt a sudden burst of courage. She felt that she could do or say anything. "Ojou-sama…no, Kono-chan?"

This won a smile from Konoka, "Yes, Set-chan?"

"Back then when I wasn't around it wasn't because I hated you. I felt that it was best protect you from the shadows. But after the school field trip I knew that I could never be able to go back doing that. I _had _to be near you. I _had _to know that you were safe by my side. Your safety means everything to me. I even went to Eva-san and begged her to teach me."

"Wait, is that where you've been going all this time? You've returned to me beaten up and bruised because you were training?"

Setsuna nodded, "I wasn't over having Daniel-kun save you. I felt that I had to gain more power." Setsuna smirked, "I have that power now. Now I can efficiently protect you, Ojou-sama!"

Konoka got off of Setsuna, shaking, "Ojou-sama?"

Konoka's hands were clenched in her lap; her long bangs covered her face, "What happened to 'Kono-chan'? I thought you told me that you were over that."

Setsuna felt puzzled, "I am. I asked her to train me as soon as I got out of the hospital."

"So this is why you were always covered in injuries, why you seemed so exhausted during class, and why you haven't been able to spend time with me?"

"Yeah…" Setsuna reached out to touch her, "What's wrong?"

Konoka moved away from her touch, "There you go, talking about power and protecting me. You're hurting yourself! And you're hurting me!"

Brief anger struck Setsuna, "But I'm doing this for you!" She lowered her voice, "How am I hurting you?"

Konoka looked at Setsuna as she spoke, "You're always hurting yourself for me… Why didn't you tell me you were doing this earlier? I would have been there with you by your side. I would have healed you so you wouldn't be walking around half dead!" Tears welled up and overflowed freely, "What would happen if Eva went too hard and you were bleeding to death? I wouldn't be there to heal you! I can't bring the dead back to life, Set-chan! I would lose you forever!" Konoka hiccupped, "Do you have _any _clue how much pain I would go through if I ever lost you? Did you even think about that?"

Setsuna was about to say something when she realized Konoka was right. She had never factored this in. Setsuna wrapped her arms around her Kono-chan and pulled her close, "I-I never thought of that… I'm sorry…"

Konoka didn't drive her away, "I want to be by your side, too. I want to protect you and make sure you're safe, too…"

Setsuna didn't know why she felt this way, but she felt that now was the time, "Kono-chan?"

Konoka wiped her tears, "Yes?"

"There's another reason why I try so hard to protect you. Why I'm willing to go through hell and back with Eva-san's training. It's not because it's my job. It's because I-I-," Setsuna chocked on her words, "I love you."

Konoka had no time to respond. An earsplitting cracking sound split the air. She covered her ears and looked for the source, "Set-chan! What's happening?"

Setsuna crouched in a defensive position, "I don't know!" _What should I do? Should I take her away or stay here?_

Another cracking sound filled the air. Setsuna didn't know where it was coming from. It sounded like it was coming from above. Setsuna looked up and stared in horror at what she saw. The sky was cracking! Visible cracks can be seen in several parts of the sky.

"Is the sky falling or something?" Konoka asked.

"No…" Setsuna quickly realized that it wasn't the sky, "It's the protective barrier!" Setsuna scooped Konoka into her arms and took off. _I have to get Ojou-sama to safety before all the demons break loose! _Setsuna's thoughts were drowned out deafening sound of the entire barrier shattering at once.

END

Whoa…suspense! What's gonna happen next? I don't know… (I'm kidding! Of course I know!). The next, and maybe last, chapter coming soon.


	8. A Bodyguard's Duty

Author's Note: It's finally here people! The last chapter of A Bodyguard's Duty! It shall be the most epic chapter EVER! Please enjoy. I do not own anyone but the resented Daniel-bozu.

A Bodyguard's Duty

Setsuna ran desperately to the dormitories as fast as her two legs could carry her. She had to get Konoka to a safe place before all of the demons that were held back by the barrier catch up to them. She rushed out of the woods but stopped dead in her tracks. The dorms, and most likely the entire campus, were covered with demons. Winged and on foot alike. The demons were harassing students who have not yet run inside.

_No…oh no! _Setsuna couldn't do a single thing to save them. She had to focus on her Kono-chan. Setsuna ran up to one of the buildings and set Konoka down. She pressed herself against the wall and sensed a presence on the other side. Slowly she drew her sword so that it made no sound. She leapt out to the other side of the wall, sword pressed against the stranger's neck.

"Setsuna-san?"

Setsuna had her sword pressed against Negi's throat. Negi had his staff in her face and Asuna was right behind him. She withdrew her sword. "Oh thank God I found you two! The magical barrier was destroyed. That's why all these demons are crawling around!"

"_What?_" Asuna exclaimed. "Is that even possible?"

Negi lowered his staff. "The headmaster sent the entire faculty to round up students and lead them to the cellar that goes to Library Island. I flew around to make sure there weren't anymore students on the campus, but there were already teachers getting them inside. The non-magical teachers are inside with the students while the magical teachers fight off the demons."

"I took down, like, twenty of these things!" Asuna said. "We keep cutting 'em down, but they keep coming back!"

Negi nodded. "We think that someone outside of the campus is summoning these demons, but we have no clue who."

"What do these guys want?" Konoka asked taking her place next to Setsuna.

"I don't know. If Sensei is correct then the person summoning these demons is a safe distance away. We should head out to the woods and find the source." Setsuna turned to Konoka. "Ojou-sama, you should head inside with everyone else."

"No way! You're not leaving me, Set-chan! This may get dangerous and I could heal you if any of you get hurt."

Asuna nodded. "She has a point. Don't worry Setsuna, I'll watch after her. She's totally safe with me!"

Setsuna smiled at her friend. "Thank you. Let's go find this guy and teach him a lesson."

Setsuna took a few steps foreword when a ball of flames engulfed the area in front of her. She could only see an outline past the smoke. "I'm afraid I can't let you go anywhere, Sempai."

_Daniel? _"Daniel-kun? What are you doing?"

"My job, silly." Daniel walked though the flames. Setsuna couldn't recognize his face. His face was twisted into this cruel, laughing expression. He inched closer to Konoka. Setsuna's protective instincts kicked in. She drew her weapon and got between Konoka and Daniel. Daniel cocked his head to the side. "What? I'm her bodyguard. I'm here to protect her from all these demons running around."

Setsuna didn't budge. "I don't trust the look in your eyes. You are going no where near Ojou-sama."

"Very well, but my mission was to bring her back alive. I don't intend on hurting her."

"Mission? What mission?" Asuna asked.

Daniel stepped closer and knocked Setsuna aside. Setsuna crashed against the wall and slumped down to the ground. _H-he's gotten stronger!_

Asuna and Negi protectively stood in front of Konoka. "What the hell do you want with Konoka?" Asuna demanded.

"Well, I'll tell you since either I or the demons will eventually kill you. I am here for Konoe Konoka. Apparently, aunt wants to harness her powers again. I think you would know my aunt better as "The Monkey Lady"."

"_What? _You're her _nephew?_" Asuna exclaimed.

"Yup, that's me. Please step aside. It would make my job a lot easier."

Setsuna mustered up enough strength to knock over Daniel. "I don't care why you're here or what your mission is," Setsuna growled, "You will _never _take Ojou-sama away from me!" Setsuna swung her blade at his face, but he evaded it with ease.

"You want to fight, Sempai? That works. My plan is falling into place."

"Shut up!" Setsuna yelled as she tried again. She glanced behind her where Asuna and Negi were preparing for the demons that were straying towards them. "Guys! Fight off the demons and protect Ojou-sama, no, Kono-chan." Setsuna blocked one of Daniel's kicks. "I'll fight Daniel. If I beat him then these demons should go away."

Setsuna turned to focus on her own battle. She still felt fatigue from her training with Eva, but she will have to manage. Setsuna ran away from Konoka and the others. She took another quick glance over her shoulder to see if Daniel was following her.

"Tsk tsk. Sempai, keep your eyes on your opponent."

Setsuna gasped and found Daniel in front of her, fist reeled back preparing to strike. Setsuna ducked in time, but Daniel still managed to get her shoulder. Setsuna winced. _How the hell did he get so fast? He was NOTHING like this when we sparred. He must have been testing me! _

"Sempai, please. Fight me seriously. Don't forget that your life is on the line." Daniel extended out his hands. Balls of fire appeared that shaped into his tomahawks and in a flash his weapons were in his hands. "Let's dance."

Setsuna stepped up her game and matched her speed with his. Daniel shot a fireball at Setsuna. _An unchanted spell, _Setsuna thought. With a flick of her wrist she deflected the ball of fire with the side of her sword. The fireball shot back out to Daniel, but he cocked his head to the side slightly and the fireball flew right passed him and crashed into a tree.

Daniel looked at the burning tree and shook his head. "Oh dear. What did nature ever do to you?"

Setsuna took this moment to dash towards him and cut him down. She split him down the middle. "The battle field is no place to get distracted," she said.

"I agree."

Setsuna felt a wave of dread as the cold metal of Daniel's tomahawk blade pressed against her neck. "You were a fun opponent, but those who fall for such cheap tricks aren't worthy enough to wield a sword." Where Daniel's "body" lay suddenly poofed in a cloud of white smoke. A paper doll with Daniel's name on it remained.

_Shit!_

"You're not the only one who can do that. Don't worry, I'll take _great _care of Kono-chan when you're gone," Daniel sneered. Daniel decapitated Setsuna in one fluid motion. Setsuna's head rolled onto the ground. "All too easy."

"You didn't really think I'd fall for that, did you?" The body in Daniel's arms poofed into a cloud of white smoke, as well as Setsuna's head. Setsuna had gotten behind him and held him in an unbreakable headlock. The tip of her blade poked Daniel's side. "You're mine."

"I should have expected this from someone like you," Daniel said. Daniel muttered a spell under his break and in seconds his body started to heat up. Setsuna could visibly see sparks coming off of his body.

_Crap! He's planning on electrocuting me! _Setsuna released him from her hold and jumped back. Daniel's body now had large sparks jumping off of his body. From head to toe he was covered in sparks. His arms had a long trail of sparks that circled around him on the ground. He pointed an arm at her and the trail of sparks shot at Setsuna. "This is one of my favorite spells. Few people escape without a couple of burns."

Setsuna ducked and rolled out of the way. Daniel brought back his arm and the electric extension retracted. He shot out both arms and the extensions were once again dodged by Setsuna. She panted heavily. _This is ridiculous! He's too fast. This spell gives him a great defense, too, because I can't touch him! _Setsuna pulled out her pactio card, the one she had with Negi.

"Oh? A pactio?" Daniel said, "This will be interesting."

_Adeat! _A bright light surrounded Setsuna. When it faded away two dozen daggers faced Daniel blade first. Setsuna waved her hand and the daggers shot at Daniel. He tried to block them, but a few managed to slip past his defenses. One embedded into his shoulder while another struck home and pierced his gut.

Daniel coughed up a small amount of blood. The spell he had cast was beginning to fade. The sparks that had danced on his body were no more.

Setsuna aimed another twenty daggers and fired them at Daniel. His body violently shook from the impacts. _Abeat. _Setsuna put the card back in her pocket and cautiously approached Daniel. Setsuna took a good look at Daniel and said, "Come on, Daniel. I know you're still alive."

Daniel's bloody lips twisted into a smile. Slowly he rose to his feet, staggering a bit at first. Once on his feet Daniel threw back his head and laughed. His laugher brought chills to her soul. "Ah Sempai. You're the first person who was able to damage me this severely! Someone should give you a medal or something!"

Setsuna felt nothing but pure hatred for him. She backed away from him, feeling her inner demon trying to claw its way out. "What the hell are you…?" But Daniel only grinned and charged at her again, despite his injuries.

Their battle dragged on. Setsuna took a quick look around before Daniel lunged at her again. It was late in the evening, but demons were still crawling around campus. The magical staff was still fighting them off, but more slowly. They had lost most of their energy and were running on sheer willpower. _This is taking too long, _Setsuna thought. _I need to end this now. I don't want to, but I have to rely on THAT power. _

Setsuna kicked Daniel in the gut were the dagger was still embedded. Daniel was thrown back and landed on his back. He turned over and coughed up more blood. "Daniel! This is insane! You're too weak to go on! Don't make me kill you!"

"You're too soft!" Daniel spat at her.

"Fine. You leave me with no other choice. I'll end this _now_." Setsuna felt the usual rush of chi across her entire body. Pain surged though her back as her wings came out. Her claws ripped out of her fingers and her talons tore through her shoes. Once Setsuna completely transformed she glared at Daniel. "I'm going to make you pay for causing a demon infestation at this school and endangering everyone!"

Setsuna channeled chi to her leg and kicked Daniel like a soccer ball. Daniel sailed through the air until he crashed into one of the dorm buildings. Setsuna flew to where Daniel had fallen, picked him up with two hands and slammed him into the ground. Daniel lay still. Setsuna stared at his body and smiled in triumph. Exhausted, Setsuna fell to one knee.

"Hey! I heard a crash over here!" a voice rang out.

"I heard it, too, Asuna-san. I sure hope it's no more demons."

Asuna turned the corner and stopped in her tracks. Negi caught up with her. Once he laid eyes on Setsuna he drew his wand. "I'll take care of this one."

Asuna put an arm in front of him. "No. I-I think that's…Setsuna."

Negi was puzzled. "Setsuna-san?"

Setsuna stood up. "She's right, sensei. It's me."

"What's going on? Why did you guys stop?" Konoka had caught up with them. She felt a pair of eyes gaze at her. Konoka turned and gazed back at Setsuna.

Setsuna wanted to cry. _No! Ojou-sama was never meant to see me in this form! Please! Kono-chan, don't hate me…_

Konoka slowly approached Setsuna, eyes still locked onto hers. Konoka reached out to touch Setsuna's face. Setsuna tried to look away. Konoka stroked the feathers on Setsuna's face. Konoka turned her head so that Setsuna was gazing into her eyes again. Konoka finally broke the silence. "That's really you, isn't it Set-chan?"

Setsuna was baffled. "H-How did you know?"

Setsuna felt her warm breath brush her lips as Konoka pulled her closer and the two finally shared their first kiss. Konoka touched noses with her. The feathers on Setsuna's cheeks turned pink. "No matter how many times you transform the look in your eyes never change. Plus, you're the only person I know who blushes this hard." Setsuna blushed more, causing Konoka to giggle.

Asuna walked passed the new couple and stared at the hole Daniel was in. "Oh, wow. So you, like, killed him?"

Setsuna sighed heavily, suddenly feeling quite tired. "It had to be done." Setsuna's legs went weak and she involuntarily leaned into Konoka.

Konoka caught her before she fell over. "Oh Set-chan. You've been fighting non-stop for hours… I've been healing Negi-kun and Asuna so they're not totally exhausted. Sit down. I'll heal you."

Setsuna sat down and leaned against the wall for support. Konoka pulled out her pactio card. "Adeat!" Konoka whispered. Konoka sat down with Setsuna and lightly touched her with her fans. Everywhere that was touched instantly felt better. Setsuna could feel the pain and fatigue melt away. Setsuna stood up and offered a hand to Konoka.

"Thank you," Setsuna said.

"Um, Setsuna-san?" Negi called. "Weren't the demons supposed to disappear when you killed Daniel-san…?"

_Oh no… _"Asuna-san! Get away from him! He's not dead!"

Asuna heard the command and jumped back. Chuckling could be heard from the hole where Daniel lay. Daniel's head poked out of the hole. Then the rest of him slowly rose. Daniel staggered to his feet and glared at the group. Setsuna stared at him up and down. All of his wounds, from before she transformed and after, were gone. He was completely healed. "Oh, so the gangs all here?"

Setsuna protectively stood in front of Konoka. "I don't know how you managed to escape death, but I swear to you when I say you won't do it again!"

"I'm not done with you yet, Sempai," Daniel said stepping closer to her.

"Daniel-san! As your teacher I must advise you to stop! This is madness!" Negi cried.

"Shut up, you whelp!" Daniel spat at Negi.

This touched Asuna's nerve. Without thinking she rushed Daniel. "You can't talk to Negi that way!" But Daniel swatted her away with his arm and Asuna fell to the ground.

"Asuna-san, it's okay. I'm going to finish what I started." Setsuna looked at Negi, "Please, continue to protect her."

Negi gave her a boyish smile. "You got it!"

Daniel backed up. "What's wrong?" Setsuna asked. "You're scared?"

Daniel's eyes gleamed. "Quite the opposite. You see, you've only seen a fraction of my power. I'm about to show you something I've picked up during my stay in Asia." Daniel ran off in the other direction.

Setsuna gritted her teeth and chased after him. She followed him until they reached the clearing where the World Tree stood. Daniel stopped, his back turned to her. He stiffened and started to glow and eerie yellow.

Setsuna could only stare. _Is he-can he transform, too?_

Daniel howled in pain. Setsuna could see hair grow from his arms, his legs. The hair had an interesting golden coloring to it. Daniel turned around and nearly caused Setsuna to jump back in surprise. He face was turning…animal like. His once white hair was a gold color darker than the rest of the hair on his body. The darker hair came down and around his face like a mane and flowed freely. His shirt ripped down the middle to revel more golden hair.

"What-what the hell?"

"You like it? A strange old man who lived in a desert showed me how to perform this spell. It's the strongest spell I have and I'm gonna use it to kill you, Sempai. I'll kill Sensei and Asuna, too, while I'm at it."

"Daniel. Why? Why do you want to kill me? Why are you willing to kill the others?" Setsuna asked him.

"It's part of my mission. My aunt realized that she had failed last time because Konoka Ojou-sama's ties were too strong. I mean, she had twenty people pitch in to help save her! She figured that if she were to eliminate all her relations that A). No one would save her. And B). She would give up all hope and become easier to control. I knew that you loved her. I just _had _to use that to my advantage! So I tried to worm my way in between and break it up. Not only would she be depressed about the death of those close to her, she'll have a major broken heart! Teenage girls are so simple."

Setsuna clenched her fists. "You-You monster! You were willing to destroy her friends, her family, and her _life_! Just so you can use her to do what ever the hell you want? I, Setsuna Sakurazaki, will _never _allow you to do such a thing! _NEVER!_"

Daniel smiled. "Cute, but it's not your choice." Daniel started to float above the ground until he was a building length in the air. Daniel's fur glowed golden in the early night darkness. Setsuna flapped her wings and took off from the ground until she could look Daniel straight in the eye.

Setsuna realized that she wasn't just protecting Konoka. She was protecting Asuna and Negi, too. She was protecting Konoka's friends and family. She was even protecting all of the students who were mixed in with the conflict. _I cannot lose. I can't afford to lose. _

Daniel made the first move. He came at her head first in an attempt to head butt her in the gut. _That's an unusual way to start a fight, _Setsuna thought. She drew out a wing just before he made impact and brushed him off. Daniel was caught off guard for about a fraction of a second. Setsuna used this time to channel chi to her leg and kick Daniel in the gut. "Let's see how _you _like it!" she growled. But when Setsuna kicked him it felt hard. _As is he knows how to create chi barriers! Shit! _

Daniel smirked. "That's right, Sempai. I know how to create chi barriers. Imagine me as the final boss in a video game. I have to be difficult to be-."

Setsuna wasted no time and kicked upward so that her talons clawed Daniel chin up. A wave of satisfaction rushed her when she saw the blood start to seep out of his wounds. Before he could react she channeled into her fist and punched him to next Tuesday.

Setsuna tried to hit him again, but he caught her fist. "You know, it's rude to interrupt someone when they are taking." Daniel twisted her arm. Setsuna gasped in pain, struggling to break free. "I'm gonna break your arm clean off!"

Setsuna thought that her arm was done for when she remembered that she had concealed one of the daggers from her pactio power right above her hip in case she found herself in a bind. She pulled it out and buried the blade deep into Daniel's arm. Daniel screamed and desperately tried to unpeel Setsuna's fingers from the dagger, but Setsuna wouldn't give. There was a loud snap and Setsuna felt great pain in her right arm. Now angry, Setsuna slid the blade up Daniel's arm.

Daniel punched her with his free hand and got out of her range. Setsuna looked down at her right arm and tried to move it. Her fingers weakly twitched and all she could feel was a sharp, piercing pain. _Great. That jerk broke my arm. I'm sure Kono-chan can fix this, but for now it's useless. _She looked up at Daniel who had pulled out the dagger from his arm and examined his wound. _Well at least I took out his arm, too. _

The battle continued throughout the night. At about one o'clock in the morning Setsuna was almost completely out of chi. She had a black eye, dozens of cuts, gashes, and bruises, a broken arm, and a damaged wing.

Daniel wasn't scotch free, either. His face was torn up, his right arm was useless, he had a twisted leg, and a mouth full broken teeth. Setsuna knew that Daniel was also at his limit, too. _How am I supposed to end this? I don't have enough chi to do much. I'll just use the last of my energy to pummel this guy until he runs out of chi setting up barriers. I might run out of chi before he gets to that point, but this is all I can do right now. _

Setsuna flew at him and used the speed to deliver a powerful punch. Daniel fell back a few feet, but regained his ground. Setsuna didn't stop punching him. She landed dozens of blows to Daniel's body. She could feel his chi barriers start to get weaker and weaker until they stopped appearing. Now Setsuna was punching nothing but Daniel. Setsuna could see that Daniel was starting to lose consciousness. She drew her leg up and slammed her foot down onto his head. Daniel fell out of the air and plummeted to the ground.

Setsuna landed where Daniel had fallen. He was back to his human form and was still. Setsuna knew that he just passed out. Setsuna allowed herself to transform back to her human form. She found her sword somewhere nearby and did what she had to do to prevent these events from happening again. She killed Daniel with one swing of her sword.

"It's over," Setsuna said to herself. Then to Daniel, "You were the strongest opponent I've ever faced and for that I respect you." Setsuna took his body and buried it out in the woods. When she came back her friends were waiting for her.

"You did it!" Asuna excitedly said.

"Setsuna-san! All of the demons are gone!" Negi said. "Did you…kill him?"

Konoka ran up to Setsuna and gave her a tight hug. "Don't ask that, Negi-kun! It's rude! Set-chan must be tired right now."

"Yeah…I am…" Setsuna mumbled. Konoka helped her back to her room and Asuna and Negi high fived in victory.

Asuna led Setsuna by the hand. She had told Setsuna to wear the blindfold Asuna handed to her. "It's a surprise!" Asuna said when she had asked why.

Setsuna sensed her open a door. She walked into the room and sensed many people in the room. "Take of your blindfold." Setsuna obeyed and was nearly thrown off her feet in surprise.

"_SURPRISE!_" The room was filled with magical faculty, Setsuna's friends, and even Konoka's father, Eishun.

"Um, what's this all about?" Setsuna asked.

Eishun walked up to her and ruffled her hair. "This is a thank you party we've set up to thank you for saving my daughter."

The headmaster came to his side. "Yes. Asuna-kun told me what Daniel-kun's plans were and I was shocked! Without you he would have taken Konoka and killed many people." He placed his hands on Setsuna's shoulders. "Thank you."

Asuna patted her back. "I bet you're glad that Konoka fixed you up. That would suck to party with a broken arm!"

Setsuna smiled and bowed. "Thank you so very much! I-I don't deserve this!"

"Oh Set-chan, don't be so modest!" Konoka pinched her nose.

"Awah! O-Ojou-sama?"

Konoka giggled at Setsuna who was flailing about. Suddenly Konoka pulled Setsuna closer and kissed her full on the lips. This earned loud wooping from the partiers.

"Oh ho!" Evangeline said. "So it's official, eh?"

"Evangeline-san?" said a flustered Setsuna. "_You're _here too?"

"What can I say? I love a good party."

Konoka was holding her hand and looking at her father in a challenging way. Eishun merely smiled and nodded. Konoka smiled and tightly hugged her Set-chan and Setsuna hugged her back. _I was there for you this time, _Setsuna thought. _And I always will be. Forever and always. _

END

Well. There you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading A Bodyguard's Duty as much as I enjoyed writing it.


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